1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to use of an extract of longan seeds; more particularly, in the treatment of kidney tissue dysfunction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Kidneys are located at both sides of the spine at the rear of abdominal cavity in human body, namely, in an included area where the last rib (the twelfth rib) and the spine are jointed. The basic unit of the kidney is nephron, each kidney includes about one million nephrons, and each nephron includes renal glomeruli and renal tubules.
Functions of the nephrons include: filtering wastes, water and electrolytes of the body, and producing urine, for example, removing excessive water; and removing uric acid, urea, creatinine and medicines; and controlling stabilization and balance of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and acids and bases, and maintaining stabilization of the in vivo environment. In addition to mechanism of producing urine, the kidneys can further excrete: (1) erythropoietin, if renal injuries leads to erythropoietin hyposecretion, anemia occurs; (2) D3 for activating vitamins, which is the most important ingredient for maintaining the balance of calcium and phosphorus in blood, so renal failure may lead to bone lesions; and (3) rennin and angiotensin, for adjusting blood pressure, and therefore many types of hypertension are related to kidney troubles.
Many factors are causes of kidney tissue dysfunctions: (1) congenital kidney diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease, and hereditary nephritis and urinary tact abnormalities; (2) glomerulopathy, such as primary glomerulonephritis and secondary glomerulonephritis, for example, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and lupus erythematosus; (3) tubular interstitial nephropathy, such as nephrolithiasis, renal tumor, and urethral or ureteral stricture; (4) vascular kidney diseases, such as vasculitis and hypertension nephrosclerosis; and (5) infection, such as nephritis caused by bacterial infections. In addition, due to aging, long-term drug abuse, family inheritance and high-salt diet, obesity, high cholesterol, smoking and alcohol are causes of kidney tissue dysfunctions. The clinical symptoms include changes in urine pattern such as hyperuresis (especially in night), hematuria, urine blister (urinary protein may be contained); and physical discomfort, such as eyelid edemas or face, hands and feet edema, high blood pressure, anemia, itchy skin, general tiredness, heart failure and pulmonary edema.
However, there are many causes of kidney tissue dysfunctions, there is no effective drugs that can effectively treat kidney tissue dysfunctions, for example, in treatment of secondary kidney tissue dysfunctions, primary focuses are treated to control the disease; in treatment of kidney tissue dysfunctions caused by infections, antibiotics need to be used and in treatment of nephritis, not only common anti-inflammatory agents cannot be used, but also the symptoms get more severe due to use of the common anti-inflammatory agents, and steroids or immunosuppressants are generally used, but serious side effects are serious are caused. Therefore, when the course of kidney tissue dysfunctions is continuously developed, treatment such as peritoneal dialysis even renal transplantation is required, which has great influence on the patient's living and life.
Longan is the fruit of the Family Sapindaceae and Genus Dimocarpus plant, and also called as Guiyuan. Longan can be used in herbal medicine. The pulp has a sweet taste and is warm in nature, and has the effect of invigoration; the stone has an astringent taste and is neutral in nature, and has the effect of convergence and stopping bleeding; the leave has a light taste and is neutral in nature, and has the effect of resolving superficies syndrome. Longan has a variety functions such as invigoration and benefiting qi, helping building blood, invigorating heart and spleen, nourishing blood and tranquilizing mind, moisturizing skin and beautification, and can be used to treat anemia, palpitations, insomnia, amnesia, neurasthenia and post-illness and postpartum weakness. Longan seed is used in trauma treatment since ancient times, and as recorded in ancient book A Collection of Chinese Herbal Medicines, longan stone can be used in the treatment of stomach pain, burn and scald wounds, bleeding, ulcer pain, trauma bleeding, scabies and eczema. When being used for trauma treatment by ancients, longan seed has good hemostatic effect, pain-relieving effect and function of regeneration of tissues, and is known as “Jindao Dusheng San”. In recent years, studies related to the health care effects of longan, especially studies in the antioxidant capacity, effective ingredients and whitening capability are gradually increasing. Most studies have found that, the flower and fruit of longan have high-level antioxidants, such as gallic acid, corilagin) and ellagic acid. However, studies on longan seed are relatively few. Generally, after longan pulp is obtained, longan seed is abandoned.
Although many uses of longan have been reported, different uses of the extract of longan seeds are still to be developed.